September 2, 2019 (Berkeley, Calif.)-Restrainedvengence entered the 2019 Rolling Green Stakes at Golden Gate Fields with just three weeks between races after a hard-fought, neck loss in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs. For the son of Hold Me Back, it was a career-best race. The “short rest” did not phase Restrainedonvengance, though, as the 4-year-old gelding shipped to Golden Gate Fields and trounced the competition in the marquee event of the Golden Gate Summer meet, the $50,000 Rolling Green Stakes for 3-year-old and upward on the grass.
Sent off as the 4-5 post time favorite, Restrainedvengence took the lead early before setting quarter mile fractions of 24.72, 49.70 and 1:13.40 seconds. Winning jockey Juan Hernandez asked the 4-year-old gelding for his best in midstretch before finishing the final sixteenth of a mile in a little over 6 seconds, hitting the wire three and a half lengths ahead of runner up Builder and third place finisher Wicked Old Fashion. Café Flavor, Tortosa, Lymebird and G.G. Ryder completed the order of finish.
“He’s a neat horse,” said winning trainer Val Brinkerhoff. “As soon as I saw they went 49 for a half, I started walking down to the winner’s circle for the photo.”
Restrainedvengence completed the mile and a sixteenth distance on turf in 1:43.93 seconds and picked up his second career stakes win for owners Kelly Brinkerhoff and Bob Grayson Jr. His other career stakes win, the Oceanside Stakes, came on Opening Day at Del Mar in 2018. Restrainedvengence now sports a 4-1-1 record from 16 lifetime starts with career, with earnings just over $220,000.